Centrifugals



July 29, 1958 w, U EB 2,845,178

CENTRIFUGALS Filed Feb. 23. 1955 z/wskvrap Oar/ er 31014859 f KUl/ CENTRIFUGALS Walter Buddeberg, Starnberg, Germany, assignor to Krauss-Maifer A. G., Munich-Allac'h, Germany Application February 23, 1955, Serial No.

7 Claims. 01. 210-213 The present invention relates to centrifugals.

More particularly, the present invention relates to centrifugals which are adapted to continuously receive and discharge material to be treated as well as to continuously treat the material with various fluids. For example, the present invention relates to eentrifug als of the type used in the treatment of sugar, pure anthrac'ene, citric acid, and the like, in one continuous process, with various fluids such as water, steam, syrup, gasoline, for washing, for coating or for chemically treating the material.

Although centrifugals are already known for performing the above results, the known centrifugals' do not operate satisfactorily. One of the difficulties of the known centrifugals is that it is extremely difiicult to maintain the different treating fluids separate from each other and at the same time it is almostiinpossible withthe'kno'wn centrifugals to uniformly treat all of the material. While it is possible to distribute the fluids from points which are spaced considerably from each other toward the material to treat the same, so as to avoid mixing of different treating fluids, this solution is not practical because it results in a centrifugal which is not only very expensive to manufacture but also of an undesirably large size. v

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a centrifugal which is capable of uniformly treat:

ing a material in a continuous manner with one or more treating fluids.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a centrifugal which is capable of maintaining a plurality of treating fluids entirely separate from eacli'other.

Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a centrifugal which guarantees that the different treating fluids will not become mixed 'with each other and which at the same time is of a relatively small size. 1

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a centrifugal capable of treating material with light, volatile fluids as well as with thick, viscous fluids.

Also, it is .an object of the present invention to provide a centrifugal capable of accomplishing all of the above objects and at the same time being made up of simple and ruggedly constructed parts which are inexpensive to manufacture and assemble and which are very reliable in operation. l I

With the above objects in view the present invention mainly consists of a centrifugal which includes 'a drum member having an inner cylindrical face adapted to re ceive material to :be .treated. A pusher member is located in the .drum member and extends across the axis thereof, and a shifting means Iengages oneof these memhers for shifting the same along .the drum axis. A feed pipe has a free outlet end portion extending into the ,drum substantially along the .axis thereof. An annulardistributing means is formed .with a central opening through hi h the su l tu ex t is distrib ingmeans a as an @1 51 Wal .ediaqem th ush sxt ad ns about 2,845,178 le ate J Z 1 ice the supply tube and connected to the pusher to define with the latter a'pasage'through which material to be treated moves from the feed pipe to "the inner face of the drum, and the distributingmeans has an annular outer wall extending from'the periphery of the end wall away from the pusher and providing a uniform thickness in the cake located next'to the inner face of the drum during shiftin g'of the above-mentioned one meniber along the axis of the drum, the annular outer wall being formed in each of a plurality of axiallyspaced annular portions thereof with cutouts through which treating fluids may be directed toward the cake.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for th invention ar'e'set forth in particular in the appended claims; The invention itself, however, bothas to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, 'will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawing.

Referring now to the drawing, which shows the structure of the invention in an elevational, central,'sectional view, and which shows only suflicient structure toaffor'd a full understanding bf th'einvention, it will be seen that a centrifugal drum 5 is provided, this drum 5 being supported for rotation about its axis and being rotated by any known means not forming part of the present invention. The raw slurry forms acake against the inner -cylindrical face of the drum'5, and it will be noted that the cylindrical wall of this drum is formed with aperturesthrough which fluid is expelled. The drum 5 is open at its left end, asviewed in the drawing, and is provided at its right end with an end wall formed with a central aperture. A pusher" 1 is located within the 'drum 5 and extends across' the axis thereof, a' shaft 1 extending slidably through the aperture in the end wall' of drum Sand being connected to the pusher 1 for shifting the latter along the drum axis.

A feed pipe 4 is provided to supply in the interior of the drum the raw slurry, and, as is clearly shown in the drawing, the feed pipe 4 has a free outlet end portion extending into the drum along the axis' thereof. An annular distributing means '15 is located in the drum 5, this distributing means 15 having an end wall 3 which is funnel-shaped and which is formed with a central aperture through which the pipe 4 extends, the inner periphery of the end wall 3 being in slidable, sealed engagement with the pipe 4. Lugs'lZ are fixed to the pusher 1 and the end wall 3 to fix members 1 and 3 to each other, and this pusher 1 participates in the rotation of the centrifugal while being shiftable along the axis thereof so that the end ,wall 3 together with the' entire distributing means 15 is turnable together with the pusher 1 and is shiftable along the axis of'the drum 5. The distributing means 15 includes ari'annular outer wall 6 c'oaxial'with the drum and extending from the outer periphery of the end wall 3 away from the 'pusher 1.

As is evident'froni the drawing, the annular outer wall 6 of the distributing means "15 .is formed with a pair .of annular gfooves 7 of .trapeZoidal cross section, and furthermore, vthe annular wall 6 is formedwith cutouts 9 distributed about the drum axis and through which fluids may be directed through the grooves .7 tozthe cake.

It willjbe noted that the cutouts 9 are illustrated as being in the form of slots located at the grooves'.7' and distributed uniformly about the drum axis. However, it is also possible to provide nozzles rathertha'n'slots, if desired. In any event, the fluidlflows from the cutouts ,9 in the form of conical sprays which engage the cake, v

fIZhepart of ,the right groove.7 of .the drawing which is p of the smallest radius is in the .form of an annular tube 8. Each of the grooves 7 is formed by annular portions of wall 6 which extend radially inwardly toward the drum axis, and the tube 8 interconnects the inner peripheries of the two annular portions of the right groove 7 of the drawing. Conduits communicate at their outer ends with the tube 8 and at their inner ends with a container 11 which is located about the supply tube 4. This container 11 has a pair of annular side walls whose inner peripheries are in sliding, sealed engagement with the outer surface of the pipe 4 so that fluid cannot escape at the place where the side walls of container 1.1 engage the pipe 4, and the container 11 is completed by an outer annular wall which is connected to the inner ends of the conduits 10 so that these latter conduits communicate with the interior of the container 11. It will be seen that this container 11 is in fact an annular trough extending about the feed pipe 4. A feed pipe 12 extends through an opening in the feed pipe 4 into the latter and ends at a point between the side walls of the container 11. This end of the pipe 12 forms the outlet end of this feed pipe and extends through an opening in the pipe 4. The pipe 12 is welded to the pipe 4 at the places where it passes therethrough, so that there can be no escape at the connections between members 4 and 12.

The distance between the side walls of container 11 corresponds to the stroke of the pusher 1 so that there is never a moment when the outlet end of the pipe 12 is not located between the side walls of the container 11. At the center of the stroke of the pusher 1 the outlet end of the conduit 12 is located midway between the side Walls of the container 11. The members 8 and 10-12 are suitable for directing to the cake fluids which are volatile, such as steam, and various vapors or gases.

The left groove 7 shown in the drawing is also formed by a pair of inwardly directed annular portions of the outer annular wall 6 of the distributing means 15. These annular portions of the left groove 7 are interconnected at their inner peripheries by an outer annular wall of an annular trough 13, this outer annular wall of the trough 13 being formed between the annular side portions of the left groove 7 with the cutouts 9 which are distributed about the drum axis. The trough 13 includes a pair of annular side walls respectively connected to the opposite ends of this annular outer wall, which extends beyond the inner peripheries of the side walls of the left groove 7, and these side walls of the trough 13 extend with considerable clearance about the pipe 4. A feed pipe 14 has a free outlet end portion extending freely between the pipe 4 and the trough 13 and only partly overlapping the trough 13, as shown in the drawing, so that a fluid may be delivered from the pipe 14 to the trough 13 to be distributed therefrom through the left set of cutouts 9 as shown in the drawing to the cake. The elements 1314 are suited for delivering to the cake viscous fluids such as syrups and the like. It will be noted from the drawing that the side walls of the trough 13 are respectively aligned with the side walls of the container 11 and that the outlet end of pipe 14 is aligned with the outlet end of pipe 12. Thus, the side walls of trough 13 are also spaced from each other by a distance corresponding to the stroke of the pusher 1 so that the outlet end of pipe 14 will always be located between the side walls of trough 13, and when the pusher 1 is at the center of its stroke the outlet end of the pipe 14 is located midway between the side walls of the trough 13.

The operation of the above described structure is believed to be evident. The raw slurry is delivered through the feed pipe 4 to the passage between members 1 and 3 and flows through this passage to the inner cylindrical face of the drum 5. The axial shifting movement of the pusher 1 together with the distributing means 15 causes the outermost cylindrical portions of the annular outer wall 6 of the distributing means 15 to distribute the slur ry evenly along the drum with uniform thickness so that uniformity of treatment is promoted in this way. Furthermore, the separation of the pair of grooves 7 by the annular wall portions guarantees that the fluids flowing from the cutouts 9 to the cake, in conical sprays as was mentioned above, will not mix with each other in the cake, since the stroke of the pusher 1 and the distributing means attached thereto is smaller than the distance the outer annular wall portions extend respectively in axial direction, and it will be seen that the arrangement of the invention accomplishes this result with a relatively simple structure which at the same time is of a fairly small size.

Although the disclosed structure is capable of directing only two different fluids to the cake, it is of course possible to provide any desired number of arrangements as described above for conveying any desired number of fluids to the cake in such a manner that these fluids will not mix with each other.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of centrifugals differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in continuously operating centrifugals, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. Centrifugal comprising, in combination, a centrifugal drum member having an inner cylindrical face adapted to receive slurry; a pusher member located in said drum member and extending across the axis thereof; shifting means engaging one of said members for shifting the same along said axis; a feed pipe having a free outlet end portion extending into said drum member substantially along the axis thereof; and an annular distributing means formed with a central opening through which said pipe extends, said distributing means having an end wall adjacent said pusher member extending about said feed pipe and connected to said pusher member to define with the latter a passage through which slurry moves from the feed pipe to form a cake at the inner face of the drum member, and said distributing means having an annular outer wall extending from the periphery of said end wall away from said pusher member and providing a uniform thickness in the cake during shifting of said one member along said axis, said annular outer wall being formed with at least a pair of annular grooves of trapezoidal cross section each having sides which approach each other as they approach said axis and said grooves being separated from each other by annular wall portions extending in the direction of said axis and concentric therewith, and said annular outer wall being formed with cutouts at said grooves so that treating fluids may be directed through said cutouts to the cake, whereby said annular wall portion-s will prevent mixing of said fluids during shifting of said one member.

2. Centrifugal comprising, in combination, a centrifugal drum member having an inner cylindrical face adapted to receive slurry; a pusher member located in said drum member and extending across the axis thereof; shifting means engaging one of said members for shifting the same along said axis; a feed pipe having a free outlet end portion extending into said drum member substantially along the axis thereof; an annular distributing means formed with a central opening through which said pipe extends, said distribuing means having an end wall adjacent said pusher member extending about said feed pipe and connected to said pusher member to define with the latter a passage through which slurry moves from the feed pipe to form a cake at the inner face of the drum member, and said distributing means having an annular outer wall extending from the periphery of said end wall away from said pusher member and providing a uniform thickness in the cake during shifting of said one member along said axis, said annular outer wall having a pair of annular portions facing each other and directed inwardly toward said axis and including an annular tube extending between and interconnecting said pair of annular portions at the inner peripheries thereof and being formed in its wall portion located between said annular portions with cutouts distributed about said axis; a closed annular container located about said feed pipe adjacent said outlet end portion thereof; conduit means communicating with said container and with said annular tube; and a feed pipe leading to said container.

3. Centrifugal comprising, in combination, a centrifugal drum member having an inner cylindrical face adapted to receive slurry; a pusher member located in said drum member and extending across the axis thereof; shifting means engaging one of said members for shifting the same along said axis; a first feed pipe having a free outlet end portion extending into said drum member substantially along the axis thereof; an annular distributing means formed with a central opening through which said pipe extends, said distributing means having an end wall adjacent said pusher member extending about said feed pipe and connected to said pusher member to define with the latter a passage through which slurry moves from the feed pipe to form a cake at the inner face of the drum member, and said distributing means having an annular outer wall extending from the periphery of said end wall away from said pusher member and providing a uniform thickness in the cake during shifting of said one member along said axis, said annular outer wall having a pair of annular portions facing each other and directed inwardly toward said axis and including an annular tube extending between and interconnecting said pair of annular portions at the inner peripheries thereof and being formed in its wall portion located between said annular portions with cutouts distributed about said axis; an annular container, through which said feed pipe extends, having annular side walls in sliding sealing engagement, at their inner peripheries, with said feed pipe and said container having an outer annular wall interconnecting said side walls thereof at the outer peripheries thereof; at least one conduit communicating at one end with said container and at its opposite end with said annular tube; and a second feed pipe extending into the interior of said first feed pipe and having an outlet end extending through said first feed pipe at a part thereof located between said side walls of said container.

4. Centrifugal comprising, in combination, a centrifugal drum member having an inner cylindrical face adapted to receive a slurry; a pusher member located in the drum member and extending across the axis thereof; shifting means engaging one of said members for shifting the same along said axis; a feed pipe having a free outlet end portion extending into said drum member substantially along the axis thereof; an annular distributing means formed with a central opening through which said feed pipe extends, said annular distributing means having an end wall adjacent said pusher member extending about said feed pipe and connected to said pusher member to define with the latter a passage through which slurry moves from the feed pipe to form a cake at the inner face of said drum member, and said distributing means having an annular outer Wall extending from the periphery of said end wall away from said pusher member, said outer wall being formed with at least two annular grooves extending inwardly toward said axis and being each formed with cutouts distributed respectively along said portions of the annular grooves which have the smallest radius, and said annular grooves being separated from each other by annular dividing portions concentric with said drum memher and providing a uniform thickness in the cake during shifting of said one member along said axis; and fluid supply means extending into said drum into the space surroi nded by said annular outer Wall of said distributing means and communicating with said cutouts for supplying different treating fluids to the cutouts respectively formed in said two grooves, and including at least one conduit means for a treating fluid directly communicating with said cutouts of one of said grooves so that said one groove opens only into said conduit means and toward the slurry, and said annular dividing portions extending in axial direction a distance so as to prevent mixing of said treating fluids respectively emanating from said two grooves during the shifting of said one member.

5. Centrifugal comprising, in combination, a centrifugal drum member having an inner cylindrical face adapted to receive a slurry; a pusher member located in the drum member and extending across the axis thereof; shifting means engaging one of said members for shifting the same along said axis through a given distance; a first feed pipe having a free outlet end portion extending into said drum member substantially along the axis thereof; an annular distributing means formed with a central opening through which said feed pipe extends, said annular distributing means having an end wall adjacent said pusher member extending about said first feed pipe and connected to said pusher member to define with the latter a passage through which slurry moves from the first feed pipe to form a cake at the inner face of said drum member, and said distributing means having an annular outer wall extending from the periphery of said end wall away from said pusher member, said outer wall being formed with at least two annular grooves extending inwardly toward said axis and being each formed with cutouts distributed respectively along said portions of the annular grooves which have the smallest radius, and said annular grooves being separated from each other by annular dividing portions concentric with said drum member and providing a uniform thickness in the cake during shifting of said one member along said axis; a trough having an outer annular wall formed with cutouts aligned with said cutouts formed in one of said annular grooves and having a pair of annular side Walls respectively connected to opposite ends of said outer Wall thereof extending radially inwardly toward said axis, and extending with clearance about said first feed pipe, said annular side walls being spaced in axial direction a distance greater than said given distance; an annular tube located along the inner portion of the other annular groove and being formed with cutouts aligned with the cutouts formed in said other annular groove; a cylindrical container located inwardly of said trough about said first feed pipe and having a pair of end walls extending substantially in line with said side walls of said trough; at least one conduit communicating with said container and annular tube; a second feed pipe leading into said container to supply a first treating fluid to the latter; and a third feed pipe extending into said trough to deliver thereto a second treating fluid, whereby said first and second treating fluids respectively fed into said container and said trough will be distributed through said cutouts to the cake while said annular dividing portions of said distributing member will prevent mixing of said fluids during the shifting of said one member.

6. Centrifugal comprising, in combination, a centrifugal drum member having an inner cylindrical face adapted to receive a slurry; a pusher member located in said drum member and extending across the axis thereof; shifting means engaging one of said members for shifting the same along said axis; a feed pipe having a free outlet end portion extending into said drum member in the direction of the axis thereof; and an annular distributing means formed with an opening through which said'feed pipe extends, said annular distributing means having an end wall adjacent said pusher member extending about said feed pipe and connected to said pusher member to define with the latter a passage through which slurry moves from said feed pipe to form a cake at the inner face of said drum member, and said distributing means having an annular outer Wall extending from the periphery of said end wall away from said pusher member and providing a uniform thickness in the cake during shifting of said one member along said axis, said outer annular wall being formed with at least a pair of grooves, each being formed with a plurality of cutouts so that treating fluids may be directed through said cutouts to the cake, and said grooves being separated from each other by annular wall portions extending in direction of said axis concentric therewith so as to prevent mixing of said treating fluids during shifting of said one member.

7. Centrifugal comprising, in combination, a centrifugal drum member having an inner cylindrical face adapted to receive a slurry; a pusher member located in said drum member and extending across the axis thereof; shifting means engaging one of said members for shifting the same along said axis; a feed pipe having a free outlet end portion extending into said drum member in the direction of the axis thereof; an annular distributing means formed with an opening through which said feed pipe extends, said annular distributing means having an end wall adjacent said pusher member extending about said feed pipe and connected to said pusher member to define with the latter a passage through which slurry moves from said feed pipe to form a cake at the inner face of said drum member, and said distributing means having an annular outer wall extending from the periphery of said end wall away from said pusher member and providing a uniform thickness in the cake during shifting of said one member along said axis, said outer annular wall being formed with at least one groove formed with a plurality of cutouts so that a treating fluid may be directed through said cutouts to the cake; and closed conduit means for directing a treating fluid to said cutouts, said conduit means leading into the interior of said annular distributing means communicating directly with said cutouts of said one groove so that said one groove opens only into said conduit means and toward the slurry.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 527,499 Levy-Samson Oct. 16, 1894 2,685,370 Ruegg Aug. 3, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 638,799 Great Britain June 14, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 2,845,178 July 29, 1958 Walter Buddeberg It is hereby certified thaterror appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below In the grant, lines 2 and '11, and in the heading to the printed specification, line 4, name of assignee, for UKrauss=Maffer A, G. in each occurrence, read Krauss-=Maffei A. G.

Signed and sealed this 10th day of March 1959.

Attest:

LH AXLINE BERT C, WATSON Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

